November 14th, 2017

Beloved,
​       I was pleased as punch with our “Shattered Masks” program on Sunday.  A million thank you’s to everyone who helped provide the radical hospitality of Christ I imagined for the evening.  Carl, Deborah and crew fed fifty people and made take-home for quite a few.  Around seventy attended the program, a wonderful mix of community folks and students, with a few from neighboring towns.  The spirit was joyful, generous and welcoming all around.  Of course everyone loved Laura Beth best.  Lucas remains one of my favorite pastors anywhere ever.  He was too humble to tell you he is also an amazing designer and a stand-up comedian.  
       A student emailed me later to say she was glad she came, that she hadn’t felt so safe in church in a really long time.  Which reminded me of my last week’s column, talking about how we aren’t supposed to come to church for the purpose of feeling safe.
       Safe in an unsafe world -- my exact words, I think, in reference to ducking worldly dangers like crime and cancer.  But certain worldly dangers ought never find their way inside the church:  autocratic leadership, theocracy, discrimination and sexual predation.  Yet not only do such dangers get in, they too often find safe haven and are rebranded as ministry, God’s will, biblical interpretation, and pastoral care - respectively.
      To walk in faith instead of fear is so much more difficult sometimes.  Having someone promise to protect and lead us well, in exchange for thinking as they think, may seem not so big a deal, especially if they are kind and appear trustworthy.  But if we are ever afraid of hurting them by being different or by wanting to go a different way, then we are no longer free.  I was a long time admitting one could be enslaved by someone kind; that spiritual abuse is still abuse even though it’s not illegal.  But when Christian human beings can admit that we are as weak as all the rest, that we need Jesus just as much as all the rest, I have found we are more careful with each other.  If we can take what we need of Christ from Him, we are free to be more gentle, more respectful of one another’s personhood.
      Which is to say that I was humbled and amazed at the people who took a chance to come to church again last Sunday night and I prayed for the ones who almost came.  When you are ready, we’ll be here.  

~ peace & prayers,
pastor annette

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